Ram-driven presses, for example, punch presses, are well known in the art. Punch presses are typically configured to hold a plurality of tools for machining components from sheet workpieces, for example, sheet metal. Such machining generally involves forming holes in such sheet workpieces and/or deforming such sheet workpieces into a variety of shapes and sizes, e.g., via indentations made therein. Tools used in this machining commonly involve a punch and die, whereby the punch and corresponding die are mounted in a press and located in working position beneath the ram of the press (in some cases, coupled directly to the ram). To that end, the punch is typically driven, according to a pre-programmed ram stroke, to fabricate sheet workpieces located between the punch and die.
Product designs, which incorporate components formed from sheet workpieces, often require that a number of different types of deformations and/or holes be formed with respect to each of the workpieces in forming the components. As such, punch presses used in processing these workpieces commonly employ a plurality of tools mounted therein for each workpiece. In such cases, the press is often programmed to sequentially move a variety of tools, as warranted for a particular workpiece, into and out from the working position of the press, for example, via rotation of a turret, in a turret-type press, via manipulation of a multi-tool in a single station press, or via selection and replacement of tools from a tool magazine of a press.
Components formed from sheet workpieces can often include, in addition to the aforementioned deformations and/or holes, one or more value-adding features, for example, an informational marking. Such value-added features may be provided prior to fabrication, when the workpiece is still in sheet form, or following fabrication. The additional steps of providing value-added features, if not carefully considered, can significantly add to the fabrication cost of the components. Thus, there is a need for assemblies and methods which can facilitate efficient and diverse approaches to providing such features.